The Goanna Track Circuit

4 hrs

11 km Circuit

484 m

Hard track

The Goanna Track is a short but pleasant bush track with some good views down over Heathcote Creek. Mostly along management trail, this walk follows the pipeline from Heathcote out to the Goanna Track circuit. Be sure to go down to Lake Eckersley as this is arguably the prettiest part of the walk. If wanting a break, there are some good spots down at water level, with nice views and picnic tables.

(0km) Heathcote Railway Station → End of Freeman Rd

1 km

17 mins

4m

-24m

Very easy

From the station, this walk follows the footpath towards the highway, passing the left side of the car park, until it reaches the highway, which it crosses at the traffic lights. The walk continues along Oliver Street for a while before coming to the intersection with Boundary Road. Here, this walk turns left, following the road for a short distance before taking the first right onto Freemans Road and continuing past the large scout camp, to the end of the road, where it comes to the intersection with the management trail at the corner of Bella Vista Street.

Moderate track

Veer left: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail, crossing under the high tension power lines and bending around to the right a short distance, before coming back around to the left and passing a management trail (which heads behind some houses). The walk continues down the hill, passing another trail on the left as the hill steepens and comes to an intersection with a rough bush track, opposite the power line tower at the bottom of the trail.Turn right: From the intersection, the walk follows the bush track on the opposite side of the management trail to the power line tower. The walk passes a burnt-out car shell before turning down the long steep hill and winding down to the ‘T’ intersection with a wider track.

Moderate track

Turn right: From the intersection, the walk follows the track heading down along the side of the hill and through the thick bush. After a short while, the track comes to a large concrete pipeline, crossing it at the metal platform to the intersection with the management trail.

Moderate track

Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the ‘Mirang Pool’ arrow along the asphalt trail down the long hill. After a short while, the trail bends around to the left, turning back towards the pipeline, and continues downhill until it flattens out and crosses a bridge at the pipeline. From here, the walk continues along the management trail, following the pipeline (with Heathcote Creek down the hill on the right) for a while before coming to the signposted intersection with the Mirang Pool track.

Mirang Pool camping ground

This campsite is nestled in Heathcote National Park, with walk-in access from Heathcote Station. The campsite is near Mirang Pool on Heathcote Creek – there is a signpost at the top of the stairs, leading down to the pools from the management trail above. There are no facilities provided at the campsite, and you will need to carry in your own water and fuel stove.

Moderate track

Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the ‘Lake Eckersley’ arrow along the management trail, keeping the pipe line to the left, as it heads through the bush. After a while, the trail does a large ‘S’ bend, crossing the pipeline twice as before passing through a gate and up to the intersection with the Mirang Road service trail.

Moderate track

Continue straight: From the intersection, the walk follows the asphalt management trail, keeping Heathcote Creek and the valley to the right as the trail rounds a bend and heads up run parallel with the pipeline as the trail becomes gravel. From here, the walk continues along the management trail, keeping the pipeline on the left for about 750m. The walk then crosses over the pipeline using a timber bridge and 160m further along the management trail the walk passes a picnic table and crosses Heathcote Creek at the concrete Battery Causeway. (Here you may notice the ‘Bullawarring Track – Waterfall 7km’ sign

(4.06km) Battery Causeway → Int of Lake Eckersley and Pipeline Tracks

290 m

6 mins

14m

-1m

Moderate track

Veer right: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail, heading up the hill with the creek down to the right. The trail does a sharp ‘U’ turn to the left, and continues up the hill to the signposted intersection of the ‘Lake Eckersley Track’.

(4.34km) Int of Lake Eckersley and Pipeline Tracks → Lake Eckersley

220 m

5 mins

0m

-41m

Moderate track

Turn right: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track beside the signpost, heading down through the bush and away from the pipeline. As the track winds down the hill, it bends around to the left, winding through the dense scrub for a short while before bending back to the right and continuing down the rocky path to the edge of Woronora River. At the end of this side trip, retrace your steps back to the main walk then Turn right.

Moderate track

Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail, keeping the pipeline on the left and providing the occasional view over the valley and creek to the right. This continues for a while until reaching a signposted intersection with the ‘Goanna Track’ (which goes up over the pipeline on a metal bridge).

(5.18km) Int of Pipeline and Goanna Tracks → Int of Goanna Track and the Pipeline bushtrack

300 m

9 mins

49m

0m

Moderate track

Turn left: From the intersection, the walk follows the ‘Goanna Track’ signpost

over the pipeline at the metal platform. The rough track climbs up the rocky hill for a while before flattening out and coming to a signpost and the intersection with the pipeline track.

(5.48km) Int of Goanna Track and the Pipeline bushtrack → Int of Goanna and Bullawarring Tracks

160 m

3 mins

0m

-23m

Moderate track

Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the left-hand arrow on the signpost, south along the side of the hill. Soon, the track turns down the hill to the signposted intersection with the ‘Bullawarring Track’

Hard track

, heading along the bush track which follows the side of the hill. The rocky bush track winds up and down through the thick bushland, with occasional views of Heathcote Creek down to the right. This continues for a while until the track drops steeply down a short rocky section and continues down the hill to the signposted intersection of the service trail at the Battery Causeway.Veer right: From the intersection, the walk crosses the creek using concrete Battery Causeway and follows the management trail up the gentle hill, past a picnic table to soon cross the pipeline on a timber bridge. From here, the walk continues along the management trail, keeping the pipeline on the right for 750m until the trail bends left away from the pipeline and onto an asphalt surface. The trail winds down a hill to the intersection of the Mirang Road service trail.Continue straight: From the intersection, the walk follows the asphalt management trail down the hill and through a gate, doing a large ‘S’ bend and crossing the pipeline twice. The surface of the trail changes to dirt and the walk continues, with Heathcote Creek on the left, to the signposted intersection with the Mirang Pool track.Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail in the unsignposted direction, keeping the pipeline on the right and Heathcote Creek down the hill on the left. The walk heads along until it crosses a bridge onto an asphalt surface and heads up the long hill that winds to the intersection with another trail, opposite the metal platform crossing the pipeline.

Moderate track

Continue straight: From the intersection, the walk heads up and over the large concrete pipeline at the metal platform and stairs. The track then continues up the long hill for a while before coming to an intersection with a rough track (heading up on the left, about 40 metres before the high tension power lines).Turn left: From the intersection, the walk follows the rough bush track heading up the side of the hill, climbing steeply up along the sometimes-faint path. The track soon flattens out and bends around to the right, passing a burnt-out car shell before coming an the intersection with a management trail.Turn left: From the intersection, the walk follows the management trail up the long hill. The walk passes a trail on the right and flattens out a little, continuing up and around to the right. This walk passes another management trail (heading behind some houses) as it flattens out more and crosses under the power lines to the road.Veer right: From the intersection, this walk follows Freemans Road all the way past the large scout camp facility, to the intersection of Boundary Road, where it turns left and continues along for a short distance to the intersection of Oliver Street. From here, this walk turns right onto Oliver Street, which it follows to the end, meeting the Princes Highway. From here, the track crosses the highway at the traffic lights and continues along the footpath, with the car park to the left, coming to the train station.

Maps for the The Goanna Track Circuit walk

You can download the PDF for this walk to print a map.These maps below cover the walk and the wider area around the walk, they are worth carrying for safety reasons.

Analysis and summary of the altitude variation on the The Goanna Track Circuit

Overview of this walks grade – based on the AS 2156.1 – 2001

Under this standard, a walk is graded based on the most difficult section of the walk.

Length

11 km

Time

4 hrs

.

Grade 4/6

Hard track

AS 2156.1

Gradient

Short steep hills (3/6)

Quality of track

Rough track, where fallen trees and other obstacles are likely (4/6)

Signs

Minimal directional signs (4/6)

Experience Required

Some bushwalking experience recommended (3/6)

Weather

Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)

Infrastructure

Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)

Some more details of this walks Grading

Here is a bit more details explaining grading looking at sections of the walk

Gradient

8km of this walk has gentle hills with occasional steps and another 2.1km is flat with no steps. The remaining (1.2km) has short steep hills.

Quality of track

7km of this walk follows a clear and well formed track or trail and another 2.1km follows a smooth and hardened path. Whilst another 1.3km follows a rough track, where fallen trees and other obstacles are likely and the remaining 640m follows a formed track, with some branches and other obstacles.

Signs

9km of this walk is clearly signposted and another 1.3km has minimal directional signs. The remaining (840m) has directional signs at most intersection.

Experience Required

Around 10km of this walk requires no previous bushwalking experience, whilst the remaining 1.5km requires some bushwalking experience.

weather

This whole walk, 11km is not usually affected by severe weather events (that would unexpectedly impact safety and navigation).

Infrastructure

Around 8km of this walk has limited facilities (such as not all cliffs fenced), whilst the remaining 3.2km is close to useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats).

Similar walks

A list of walks that share part of the track with the The Goanna Track Circuit walk.

Fire Danger

http://new.wildwalks.com/wildwalks_custom/includes/walk_fire_danger.php?walkid=nsw-hnp-tgtc
Each park may have its own fire ban, this rating is only valid for today and is based on information from the RFS Please check the RFS Website for more information.

Weather Forest

This walk starts in the Metropolitan weather district always check the formal BOM forecast or pdf before starting your walk.
http://new.wildwalks.com/wildwalks_custom/includes/walk_weather_danger.php?walkid=nsw-hnp-tgtc
Forecast snapshot